


Something Worth Having

by therantygeek



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut, Gratuitous Smut, Shameless Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:27:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21781909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therantygeek/pseuds/therantygeek
Summary: Set in the prison era. A woman with an appetite shows up and can’t figure out why in hell nobody in the place has tried to go after Daryl. Turns out there’s a little more to his reticence than meets the eye, but luckily she’s decided he’s more than worth the effort. Smut, nameless reader, cussing (lots of cussing), canon typical angsty stuff, fair volume of eventual fluff....As if on cue my gaze caught an unfamiliar figure coming up the dog run. Shaggy brown-black hair, well-built but more sinew than brawn…very nice arms, bare and tanned in the late afternoon sun. I caught a glimpse of his face as he came into the courtyard and paused to talk to Glenn. Little bit of a beard around the mouth, strong jawline, narrow but pleasingly rugged features…‘I stand corrected,’ I said in a lower voice, giving Maggie a nudge. 'Hello there tall, dark and handsome talking to Glenn.’She glanced up and then actually did a double take, looking at me like I’d sprouted a second head.'You serious?’'But that’s just Daryl talking to Glenn,’ Beth said, then gaped at me. 'You mean DARYL?’...
Relationships: Daryl Dixon/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 136





	Something Worth Having

Getting myself and three horses, including a wilful little colt foal, through walker infested territory without anyone getting eaten was mainly an exercise in speed and luck. When we came across an unusually dense herd in the woods I thought that was it, and at the very least I expected to have to abandon the trio, but when a dreadlocked woman on a sturdy bay came riding out of nowhere, drew a sword from her back and chopped the heads off about a dozen of the damned things it was all I could do not to fall clean off Wizard's back in pure shock.

'Follow me!' she called, and wheeled the bay about to gallop off the way she'd come.

Well, what else was I going to do?

That's how I ended up at the prison, in the courtyard, on the floor being hugged half to death while Scout pranced at the end of his leading rein, whinnying in protest. Fortunately by then other people had shown up to help with the horses, and that's how I ended up finding what was left of the Greenes.

'You don’t _need_ to worry about that,' I heard Maggie saying from outside my new cell-cum-bedroom. 'I told you, she trained under daddy when I was a girl, she's like my big sister-'

She cut herself off when I poked my head out.

'Maggie?' Then, spotting the young Asian man with her, 'Who's this?'

'This is-' then she blushed a bright scarlet '-oh, wow. This is Glenn. He's – uh – my husband.'

'Hi,' said Exhibit A, with an awkward wave. 'Uh, I just need to ask you a couple questions, if that's okay? It's nothing personal, everyone has to answer them-'

'Well then, fire away.'

After finding out I'd killed more walkers than I could count, more people than I'd liked, and that the reason for same was that they'd been trying to kill me – or worse – Glenn seemed to relax, which left me at liberty to get settled in properly. Everyone was nice and friendly and welcoming, especially once old Hershel gave me a big bear hug in front of most of the damned place, and the restoration of minor niceties like not continuously running for my life improved my temper no end.

'You're welcome,' Michonne, as my saviour introduced herself, found my heartfelt declaration of gratitude somewhat amusing. 'I'd still like to know how the hell you got yourself and three horses across so many miles of walker-infested woods without all of you ending up dead.'

'Hell, so would I,' I said with a grin. 'Pure dumbass luck, that's my best guess.'

In a few short days Beth and Maggie had me meeting most of the place, from Hershel's – and now my – cheery colleague in the medical profession, Doctor Subramanian, to little baby Judith Grimes. Fortunately since the pigs in the sty and the horses were all pretty hale there wasn't much for a veterinarian to do, so I ended up throwing my lot in with the girls on laundry and cooking duty just to save sitting on my hands.

'So young Zach seems like a nice fella,' I commented to Beth as we chopped up carrots for the stew.

'He's a good boy,' Carol said. 'An underappreciated boy, too.'

'He's nice,' Beth agreed absently.

'Only nice?' I said with a grin. 'This can't be the same little Bethany Greene who squealed and ran into the hayloft first time she got a kiss on a cheek from a boy she weren't related to.'

'That was _years_ ago,' Beth protested as the rest of us laughed.

'The ranch you left,' Maggie said to me, 'Was Toby still there?'

'Naw, he left months before the outbreak even started.'

'What happened?' Beth asked. 'You broke up?'

'Turned out he weren't my type.'

'Didn't think there was a man alive weren't your type,' Maggie teased.

'Dead men, men spoken for, and men who prefer men,' I shot back, because she'd have been disappointed if I didn't, which prompted a guffaw from Carol and a marginally scandalised laugh from Karen. Beth giggled.

'Well there's plenty of men here even for you!'

'Girl, you trying to mar my good name in front of these nice people I just barely met?'

'Just keep hands off Tyreese,' Karen said with a grin. 'He _is_ spoken for.'

'Duly noted,' I said, grinning right on back, and winked at Beth. 'See? Tyreese is no longer my type. Who is Tyreese, anyways?'

'Big fella with the wool cap, over yonder.' Karen indicated with her knife before grabbing another handful of carrots.

'Talking to Rick? I see him. Nice!'

'Seen anyone you like yet?' Carol asked, and when Maggie looked askance at her just smiled and shrugged. 'What? It's been too long since we had a proper girly talk around here.'

'Rick's nice,' Beth said to me, with all the subtlety of a brick.

'No disputing that.' I looked up for a moment to admire the lean figure of the former sheriff. 'But Beth, Rick's still mourning his poor dead wife. In his head he's still married. Ain't fair nobody forcing him out of that until he's good and ready on his own.'

'Doctor S, then?' she suggested. 'After all, he _is_ a doctor!'

'Maybe.' I made a show of considering this, to everyone's amusement. 'Need to think on that a spell.'

'Nobody leaping out at you then,' Maggie said dryly. 'No Larry Stocktons here.'

'Not as of yet.' I nudged her playfully. 'Give me time, girl. Only been here a week. Besides, place like this ain't for breaking hearts in. Gotta find a keeper, like you did!'

That provoked more laughter, but as if on cue my gaze caught an unfamiliar figure coming up the dog run. Shaggy brown-black hair, well-built but more sinew than brawn…_very_ nice arms, bare and tanned in the late afternoon sun. I caught a glimpse of his face as he came into the courtyard and paused to talk to Glenn. Little bit of a beard around the mouth, strong jawline, narrow but pleasingly rugged features…

'I stand corrected,' I said in a lower voice, giving Maggie a nudge. 'Hello there tall, dark and handsome talking to Glenn.'

She glanced up and then actually did a double take, looking at me like I'd sprouted a second head.

'You serious?'

'But that's just Daryl talking to Glenn,' Beth said, then gaped at me. 'You mean _Daryl_?'

'Oh lord,' I said, heart sinking slightly when Karen and Carol also dissolved into chuckles behind the stew pot, 'Don't tell me I gone and eyeballed someone's mister without knowing it.'

'No – uh – no, he ain't nobody's mister-' Maggie seemed to be struggling with some part of the concept.

'It's _Daryl_,' Beth exclaimed, in a kind of aghast fascination, like I'd just declared one of the potatoes we were slicing to be ideal boyfriend material.

'So we seem to have established.' I looked from one woman to the other. 'Something wrong with him?'

'There is nothing wrong with Daryl,' Carol said firmly, although she was grinning too.

'Nothing a flea bath wouldn't fix,' Maggie said to me in an undertone, dodging deftly when Carol swiped at her with a spoon as Karen and Beth exploded into giggles.

We must have looked quite the sleepover club sight, but then the man in question strode over to unload what turned out to be a hefty brace of rabbits, coons, pigeons and plenty more pieces of game I couldn't immediately recognise or put a name to. Carol immediately dished up a bowl of stew from the other pot and went over to him.

'Wow. Good haul.'

'Nothing big,' he said dismissively, accepting the bowl, and I mentally registered approval of that local drawl on top of the rest of the package. 'Found a boar but the damned walkers took it down.'

'That's a shame.' She motioned for the rest of us to come over and started unstringing the various animals, which would need a bit of work before they could go into the pot. Then she introduced me with a casual motion in my direction, god bless the woman. 'Michonne brought her in while you were out. Turns out she's an old student of Hershel's, knows the family from way back.'

'Huh.' He regarded me with mild interest around a mouthful of stew. 'You an animal doctor too, then?'

'Sure am. Mostly horses.' I indicated Wizard, Bella and little Scout, who were currently exploring their paddock and cautiously nosing at their new roommate, Michonne's Flame. 'Came from a ranch just the other side of Morgan Lake.'

'How in hell'd you get three horses that far across woods full of walkers?'

'I ever figure it out, I'll let you know.' I grinned. 'Working theory is pure, blind luck.'

'Yeah, I'll say.' He handed the now-empty bowl back to Carol with a nod and then turned to amble off inside. I grabbed a rabbit to skin and tilted my head on one side admiringly. Not bad at all.

'Oh my god,' Beth said in an undertone. 'You are actually eyeing him up, ain't you?'

'Bethany Greene, I'll have you know that an _essential_ ingredient in any man is being able to enjoy the sight of him walking away.' I tossed her a squirrel. 'Let's get cleaning, shall we?'

In retrospect I ought to have kept my mouth shut and admired on the quiet for at least a little while, but then discretion was never one of my better talents. Besides, what was the harm? Daryl was a grown man, he ought to be able to take care of himself against a little bit like me. I certainly knew Karen had said something to Sacha, Tyreese's sister, because she started giving me plenty of very polite space, the same way one would a mental patient, and Beth looked like she was bordering on bursting out laughing whenever she laid eyes on me for the next few days.

I got lucky one evening though, doing a later tour in the kitchen area while Carol took the kids into the library for story time. Hershel was out using the last of the light to have a read of his bible, as was his wont, and Daryl came up from the evening shift clearing the fences to sit with him and start whittling down sticks. After a moment I realised he was making ammunition for his crossbow, so I stoked one of the fires back up since he'd need it hot to harden the points, and got myself a nod halfway between gratitude and mildly surprised approbation when he wandered up with a handful of bolts to go in.

'Always made your own?' I asked.

'When I needed to.' He examined the first point with a critical eye and then held the next one into the flames.

'How long you been hunting?'

‘Since I was a kid.' Another squinted check, another bolt into the fire.

I chewed at my bottom lip, admiring the way the flickering light played over his well-muscled arms.

'Not one for small talk, huh?'

'Not really.'

'Hmm. Had you marked for the strong, silent type.'

That got me a brief and sceptical sideways glance but I wasn't fazed. Nothing worth having ever came easy, after all.

'So…hunting with a bow, not a firearm, clearly a good tracker, more comfy out of doors than in it…'

'What makes you say that?'

I grinned.

‘Don’t think I seen you indoors ‘lest you were sleeping, and you’re nearly always outside the walls during the day.’

That got a dry snort.

'Sound like a cop. Thought you were a vet.'

'I am. Part of that is observation skills. And I like watching people.' I risked a slightly more lopsided smile. 'Especially handsome outdoorsy types with pretty blue eyes.'

'What?' But by the time he looked up again, no doubt with a note of genuine bafflement, I'd already gone inside for a shower. Thank god the water ran cold.

'You're _insane_,' Maggie said to me at breakfast the following day, when Daryl quite noticeably gave me a long look and then a wide berth.

'Who's insane?' Glenn asked.

'This woman, that's who.' Maggie nudged me. 'She's got a raging crush on Daryl.'

'I ain't got a raging _crush_ on Daryl,' I said pointedly. 'I got a raging _lust_ for Daryl, which is a totally different thing.'

Glenn nearly choked on his soup and had to take several long sips of water while Maggie laughed at him.

'See?'

I left them poking fun at me and each other to check on the horses, but when evening rolled around I made sure to position myself in the kitchen again, stoking one fire up. At the same sort of time, out came Daryl, although he gave me a distinctly wary glance this time before getting to work on his bolts.

'You know, I don't bite,' I said jokingly, taking some more kindling over for the fire. 'You eaten yet?' He hadn't been around for dinner. I'd made a point of looking.

'Not yet.' Another look, again pretty cagey.

'Well, there's plenty left.' I got him a bowl and tried not to bite my lip at the way he licked his fingers clean when he'd finished with it. 'So, I think we were talking about the outdoors and observation skills?'

'You always hustle people into talking to you?'

'Only the ones I want to talk to.'

A snort.

'And why d'you want to talk to me?'

'You seem interesting.' I grinned. 'And you seem disinclined to talk. Which makes you more so.'

Another snort.

'I ain't much for conversation is all.'

'So I was right. You _are_ the strong, silent type.'

'All that education you got, would've thought you'd know your mouth won't heal up if you keep it closed.'

I laughed at that.

'Hershel used to say the same damned thing to me when I was working for him.'

'Huh.’ He regarded me for a moment and then seemed to bite, thank god. ‘You learn your trade on the farm?'

'Yeah. Knew Maggie when she was younger'n Beth, and Beth when she was just an ankle-biter.' I picked up one of the cured bolts and examined it. 'What'll you fletch 'em with?'

'Whatever I got. Owl, for now.'

'Mind if I watch?' I grinned. 'Promise I'll keep quiet. Never seen fletching done before.'

'If you want.'

In truth I was torn between watching his dextrous fingers and the interesting way his movements made the muscles in his arms and shoulders shift beneath his shirt, but it certainly kept me quiet. If anything it must have been _too_ quiet, because after five minutes or so he paused and looked up at me with a distinctly uneasy expression.

'What?'

'Hmm?'

'It ain't _that_ interesting.'

'Nothing wrong with enjoying watching a man do something he's good at.'

Another suspicious stare, then he went back to it. I hid a grin – his skittishness was oddly endearing. It only became more so over the next few weeks when I made a point of always being out there of an evening whenever he was around. He didn't even seem to mind the company, although he still seemed pretty baffled as to why I stuck around in his presence.

'It ain't like he's much for conversation,' Beth said to me one day when the girls were all gathered around the big tank doing laundry together.

'He talks sometimes,' I replied. 'Not many folks try to talk to him, I'll bet. He's just a little reserved is all.'

'I still don't get it.' Karen shook her head. 'All the fine fellas around here and you got hung up on one just looks at you like you sprouted a second head if you give him the time of day.'

'It occur to you maybe that's 'cause he ain't used to being given it?' I pointed out with a grin. 'Not my fault none of you ladies got an eye for the finer things.'

Carol laughed.

'If he could hear you talk about him how you do…he'd go beet red, I guarantee it.'

'I don't doubt it. But that's part of the charm!'

Folding one of the shirts, she flashed me a grin.

'Honestly, it's nice to see someone else around here appreciating Daryl for more than the game he brings in.'

I paused scrubbing the shirt in my hands and gave her a long look.

'Hope I ain't treading on your toes there, Carol. Contrary to what Maggie'll tell you, I ain't no poacher, and you been here a lot longer'n me.'

'Oh, lord no.' That got a wry chuckle. 'I love Daryl to pieces but it's not like that. Just…' she levelled her gaze at me more soberly '…don't mess him around. He deserves better than that.'

'I'm far past messing, Carol, believe me. I'd darn his socks if he ever took 'em off his feet.' Which was true enough. If circumstances were very different and we weren't living in the world we were, I'd probably have at least tried to bag a night in Daryl's bed by now, but getting to know him a little better had if anything expanded my appetite to something less frivolous. He was reserved to the point of stoicism but it wasn’t too hard to see that beneath all the external defence mechanisms was a surprisingly kind nature with a genuinely good heart.

'I think if that happened we'd have to evacuate the whole place,' Beth said with a giggle. 'Cleanest I ever seen him was that long rain we had, and even then he got mud up to his armpits.'

'Don't be mean,' Carol exclaimed, but she seemed to be trying not to laugh, too.

'Nothing wrong with a little mud,' I said. 'Besides, ain't it true you're supposed to eat a peck of dirt before you die?'

'Bit more than a _peck_,' Beth said. 'Also…_yeuw_.'

'Bethany Greene, you should _not_ have got that,' Maggie scolded, but the attempt at the big sisterly attitude was rather spoiled by her barely-stifled grin and the guffaws of the others.

'Not that I'm saying I'd turn down a chance to give him a bath,' I added, dumping the load I'd cleaned into a tub and scooping it up to take outside to hang out, 'Just saying I'd climb that man like a tree however grubby he is – oh, hi there Daryl.' This was as I turned around to find that he'd just come in, presumably looking for Carol. I dodged around him without missing a beat and headed out to get the laundry hung up, pretending I didn't hear the laughter from behind me as I went.

I didn't expect to have Daryl fixing me with a glare that evening when he came out at his usual time after the dinner crowd had cleared.

'You want to explain what your game is?'

'Pardon?'

'Makin' eyes and talking 'bout me like you are. What's your game?'

'My _game_?' I had to laugh at his suspicion. 'What, you ain't never had a woman express her appreciation before?'

'No,' he said, like it was obvious. 'Not 'less they want something.'

I burst out laughing.

'Daryl, I think you can be plenty assured there's only one thing I _want_ from you…'

That seemed to throw him for a loop. He was looking at me sideways with deep apprehension, like I'd sprouted a second head. Shaking my head, I tried to sober up. At least nobody else was out in the courtyard right now.

'Look, you tell me you ain't interested and that'll be that, no hard feelings. But I don't recall seeing you running off or complaining with me going out of my way to get to know you. So I got to figure either you're dumb as you are pretty or truth is you _are_ interested.'

He examined his boots for a moment.

'Didn't say I weren't interested. Just…not used to it is all.'

'Can believe it. All the damnfool women around here, not one of 'em able to see what's under their noses.' I planted my hands on my hips and squared up to him. 'So?'

'What?'

'You want me to back off?' I cocked my head and unconsciously licked my lips. 'Or you want to see where this goes?'

'I, uh…' his gaze darted across my face and down my body before flicking back to my eyes with an undeniable edge of anxiety. I grinned; a guy his size had no right to be cute when nervous.

'You going to kiss me, or what?'

'Thinking 'bout it.'

'You better do more'n think or I'm going to-' I got cut off when he pressed his lips to mine. That was it. It was like the sort of peck I'd have given a boy back in junior high. It lasted less than a second. And he looked so darn pleased with himself when he drew back.

'Um. All right.' I tried to keep a straight face. 'That'll do for a start, I guess.'

'What d'you want, woman? We're just standing here.'

'Daryl, you kissed many people?'

'Yeah.' He sounded less than sure.

'You kidding me?'

He stepped away and scowled at me.

'_What_?'

'You haven't, have you?'

'What, you want me to lick down your throat like we're in a damned porno?'

'Oh, lord. Come here.' I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and showed him what I meant, hooking one arm around his neck to let the kiss deepen. After a moment I teased at the brim of his lips with my tongue, trying to get him to lead in turn and smiling against his mouth when he seemed too shell shocked to respond.

When we broke off for air he didn't move back far, looking like he wanted to catch my eye but wasn't sure how to go about it.

'You poor man,' I said quietly. 'Nobody ever took the time to kiss you properly before?' Then another thought occurred to me and I slid my hand slowly down his chest to his belt buckle, hiding a grin when he swallowed hard. 'You know, given this…I gotta ask…'

'I know how everything works, woman, I ain't a damned virgin.' He avoided my gaze. 'Just not used to a girl ain't looking for something else.'

'Like what?'

'Like getting paid.' That came out in an embarrassed sort of blurt. I all but felt my jaw drop.

'You mean you never – unless you were _paying_ for it?'

He nodded, still examining his boots. I pursed my lips for a moment, considering how to proceed.

'Where'd you grow up, Daryl?'

That made him look at me in confusion at the abrupt change of subject.

'Uh. Sedalia. Pemberton County. Why-'

'And all the girls in Sedalia…' I put both my arms around his neck with a smile '…were they blind or just stupid?'

He blushed bright crimson but didn't resist when I kissed him again and even made an effort to reciprocate, which was remarkably faltering and heartbreakingly sweet. I was seized with a sudden urge to show him how much better things could be when there was more to it than a transaction.

'C'mon.' I took him by the hand and led him inside, glad of the ambient quiet of the evening as I pushed him into my cell and drew the heavy curtain across, flicking the lantern on. The light flickered over his face, revealing a distinctly apprehensive expression with a slight edge of underlying eagerness.

Oh, he was precious.

I quickly unbuttoned his shirt so it hung open, then peeled his jacket down off his arms. I would have had the shirt off too but he wouldn’t let me get it off his shoulders, so I settled for catching his hand again and turning us, pushing him down so he was sitting on the bed. When he didn't resist I nuzzled at the crown of his head, running my hands through his hair and over his shoulders before tilting his chin up to kiss him on the lips again. His arms snaked around my back and I grinned when he slid one palm onto my ass with an experimental squeeze.

'Lie down,' I murmured, earning myself a startled look. 'G'wan.'

Looking like he expected me to bite him, he gingerly settled onto his back. I sat down next to him, licking my lips unconsciously because_ oh_, he was _delicious_, and dropped my head onto his chest. His skin was hot under my mouth as I kissed and licked my way down his body to the waist of his pants, pausing only briefly to unclip his belt and pull the zipper down. He certainly wasn't lacking anything in that department either, I was glad to see, easing his cock out into my hand and grinning when he squirmed slightly at my touch.

'You don't – don't gotta-' he began, but cut himself off with a gasp when I bent to plant feathery licks and kisses up and down his shaft. He'd almost certainly been blown before if he'd visited hookers, but I was willing to bet heavily that had been more rapidly functional than gratifying. Besides, I enjoyed giving head, especially when it was to such an appreciative – and amply-endowed – recipient. It was all I could do not to choke as he arched up when I took him fully into my mouth and started to suck, moving slowly up and down while swirling my tongue over his head.

Daryl groaned low in the back of his throat when I pulled all the way back, releasing him with a soft pop and then glancing up. He had one hand curled into a fist up against the wall while the other was clenched on the edge of the mattress, and his eyes were closed in what had to be enjoyment judging by the expression on the rest of his face. I bent back to it, pleased and more than a little gratified at the reaction, and pressed one palm flat on his stomach to make him lie still. That made him gasp again and I barely suppressed a moan of my own because his reaction was an incredible turn-on. He was rock hard under my tongue and I could feel him starting to pant; short, rasping breaths just out of sync with the bob of my head. I hummed, which elicited a low-voiced curse.

'Shit – girl – I'm gonna-'

I hummed again, smiling as he twisted his hips and thumped the wall above his head.

'I'm _gonna_-' then he did, turning his head into the pillow to muffle a cry. I swallowed hard and drank him dry until he went slack on the bed, then kissed my way slowly back up his body until we were eye to eye.

'So.'

Chest heaving, he stared at me.

'God. Woman. That was…'

'That can_not_ have been the first time you-'

'No,' he said quickly. 'Just…ain't never been that good is all. And you – uh – you didn't-'

I winked at him.

'Ladies don't spit.'

‘Fuck.’ Scrubbing a hand over his face, he led his head fall back for a moment, and I couldn’t really help the filthy grin that snuck out. It only broadened when he looked at me again and blushed furiously, then started to sit up and hurriedly fix his clothes.

‘Woah, easy there!’ I put a hand on his shoulder. ‘No rush. Not like there’s a line outside.’

‘Uh. Yeah.’ But that odd sense of haste held until he had his shirt buttoned back up and his jacket on over it. ‘Just. Uh, gets cold in here. You know.’

I cocked my head; the cell was a damned furnace with two people in it, and he still had sweat on his brow besides.

‘All right…’

There was a short, awkward silence, and then I realised he was at an utter loss for what to do next.

‘You can just go, if you want.’ I sat down beside him on the bed. ‘Don’t want to corner you or nothing like that.’

‘Nah.’ He glanced at me, eyes dark. ‘Wanna get you off. Just-‘ looking away again, he picked at his nails ‘-just ain’t all that sure, you know. Hookers always _say_ they get there, but not like they’d say anything else-‘

I kissed him then, as much to shut up his rambling as to stop myself from doing something more inappropriate like shoving him onto his back again and riding his face into next week. He was getting the hang of kissing properly, at least, and truth be told when he lifted one hand to gingerly cup my right breast over my shirt I could have got halfway there just from that touch alone. Which of course gave me a much better idea.

‘Here.’ Wriggling around a bit so my back was against the cell wall, I toed my boots off and popped the top button of my jeans while pulling him in to sit alongside me. It was somewhat less than elegant but after a little manoeuvring he seemed to catch on, and certainly wasn’t shy about getting his hand down the front of my pants.

‘Shit, you’re wet,’ he breathed while I bit my lip and tried not to make too much noise. _God_, those archer’s calluses were something else. ‘That all for me?’

‘Hell yeah it is,’ I managed, torn between closing my eyes to luxuriate in the sensation of his keen explorations and wanting to watch the intense look of fascinated concentration on his face.

‘Shit,’ he said again, shuffling closer so he was practically breathing in my ear. ‘You’re all kinds of hot, girl. Want to see you come.’ A pause. ‘You ain’t getting there yet. Tell me what to do.’

‘No rush,’ I murmured, ‘Not a race. But-‘ shifting and widening my legs ‘-slide your thumb up, maybe? Right – _oh, fuck_ – yeah, right there.’

‘Good?’ He seemed pleased with the results of the instruction, despite – or perhaps because of – the fact that I was practically humping his hand now. ‘I got you.’

I gripped at his shoulder to brace myself a little while winding my fingers through the blanket on the bed, but didn’t expect him to reach down to cover that hand with his free one. It meant he wasn’t so much beside me as leaning over me now, and it felt more than a little like he was pinning me where I was. Not that I minded one jot, of course, especially when he ducked his head and kissed me without stopping what else he was doing. My palm on his shoulder moved of its own accord to cup his cheek, then I gave into the impulse altogether and slid it up to tangle in his hair, which was just long enough to easily tug on.

To my lasting delight that provoked a low noise that was half grunt, half growl, and he turned to nip lightly at my wrist before straightening again. Our faces were close enough now that I could make out every fleck of blue in those piercing eyes, and a delicious roll of heat surged in my stomach when his gaze locked with mine. When he licked at his bottom lip I heard myself whimper, then had to stifle a giggle when that got a sly little smirk out of him.

Oh, this man had _layers_. How and why in the name of god’s own little green apples had nobody else here tried to get a look into them yet?

Of course, all that fletching and whittling, I ought to have clocked how strong and clever those fingers would be with just a little guidance on where to put them. His index finger was teasing around the brim of my pussy now, tantalisingly light strokes in time with the movements of his thumb on my clit, and _damn_ but it felt _good_ to have someone other than me giving some attention down there.

‘Inside,’ I whispered, unable to help a little gasp when he immediately complied and the feel of it was so close to perfect. _So_ close. ‘Crook your finger. Like – like you’re beckoning someone.’

‘Like this?’

‘_Ohgodyes_,’ I half-squeaked because good lord could the man follow instructions.

‘Huh.’ Then he cocked his head and gave a dry little chuckle that made my toes curl all on its own. ‘Quit squirming, woman. Shit, you like that, huh? How ‘bout this?’

My back actually arched when he added a second finger and crooked it with the first without ceasing the movement of this thumb, which put friction and pressure on all the right spots.

‘Don’t you dare stop,’ I muttered.

‘Ain’t planning on it.’ He kissed me again, which was a good thing because my bottom lip was going to get bitten clean through otherwise with how I was worrying it, trying not to cry out. _Oh_, he was getting the idea of this, too, slipping his tongue into my mouth with the same sinful rhythm as his fingers, and I was grinding up against him just about fit to burst now.

‘Atta girl,’ he murmured, breaking off. ‘C’mon. Want to see you get off. Tell me what you need.’

Why was that half-plea, half-demand in the low rasp of his voice _so_ damned sexy? I hooked both my arms up around his neck to pull him in for another kiss, taking the chance to run my hands around and have a good explore of those gorgeous shoulders and upper arms. Getting my paws on a guy like this almost made the end of the world worth it.

‘More,’ I urged, which got a tiny snort of amusement.

‘Greedy girl, ain’t ya?’ But he did ease a third finger in and flex his knuckles, which I could have sworn made me see actual stars for a moment. ‘That’s it, yeah? Come on, give it up. Want to see it. Give me what you got, girl.’

That last demand did it, as if what his hand was doing wasn’t enough. I had to bury my face in his shoulder to muffle myself or I’d have screamed fit to wake most of the building. It hit me like a freight train, all the more intense for the gradual but patiently persistent build up, and by the time it had passed I felt like all my limbs were made of jell-o. It was all I could do to stay sitting vaguely upright, waiting for my breathing to calm and my heart to stop hammering.

‘Holy shit.’ Daryl said in my ear. ‘You are something else. Fucking beautiful.’

That verdict made me chuckle given the state I probably looked at the moment, but I did draw back to meet his gaze and could have almost had another orgasm right there just from the look on his face.

‘Bet you say that to all the girls who let you put your hand down their pants,’ I said with a wink.

‘You’re only one who has, so I guess so.’ Then he pulled his hand out and, with every sign of genuine satisfaction, licked his fingers clean one by one before cocking his head at my look of surprise. ‘What?’

‘You have absolutely no damned idea how sexy you are, do you?’ I said, honestly incredulous that it was the case. To my lasting delight he blushed – beet red, as Carol had predicted – and dropped his eyes.

‘Plenty of better guys round here.’

‘Pfft.’ I waited until he looked at me again. ‘Every woman in this prison got to be some kind of stupid! I suppose each to their own and all that but _damn_, knew you were the pick of the place the second I laid eyes on you.’

That got another blush, which reached the tops of his ears and was so very adorable that it set me giggling. I couldn’t help but lean in to give him a kiss that was more affectionate than amorous, realising with a little flip of my stomach that this one might well have the whole package of sexy-as-hell and total sweetheart all wrapped up. All the more so because he didn’t realise it.

‘So, you want to bunk in?’ I asked, trying not to sound too hopeful. ‘Bed’s a little narrow but I got no problem cosying up, and promise I don’t snore or anything.’

‘I – uh – I should get back,’ he said, rather quickly. ‘Case someone goes looking for me, or-‘

‘I told you, Daryl, not trying to corner you.’ I stood up when he did, taking a moment to rebutton my jeans before giving him another kiss. ‘Whatever pace you want this at’s fine by me. I ain’t so in a hurry to have something good I’ll risk scaring it off for moving too fast. So no need to make excuses, just tell me what you want straight, all right?’

‘All right.’ He regarded me a little warily for a moment. ‘Don’t think I ever been called something good or worth having before. You mean it?’

‘Every damned word.’ I tried to keep my tone light but inwardly couldn’t help feeling more torn up than I cared to admit over his hesitation. How had nobody _seen_ him before? ‘So, you settling in or going?’

‘Going.’ He backed towards the door and fiddled with the tarp slung over it for a moment. ‘G’night, I guess.’

‘See you tomorrow, Daryl.’

Once he’d shuffled out I went to re-fix the tarp and then stripped, collapsing face-first onto the bed with a rather louder noise of satisfaction than was likely proper for such close living. But _damn_ that man was something else. To think he’d said the same of me just because he’d likely never seen a woman come at his hands before! A crying shame is what it was.

Still, I did my best to be discreet the following day, pitching in with the usual chores and partaking of the normal gossip and chatter. In fact if not for the lingering looseness in my limbs from enjoyably relieved tension I could have almost thought I’d imagined the whole thing, until after the dinner cleanup when I realised that I was being watched with almost owlish intensity from across the courtyard.

I deliberately went about my business a moment longer, getting the last dishes clean and dry for putting away, only trying a quick glance once everything was tidy.

The stare he was giving me would have set a lesser woman to whimpering, and it was all I could do not to close the distance at a sprint and hurl myself at him. Even worse, he was idly twirling the arrow he’d just finished whittling around the fingers of one hand, and while I doubted he had the guile to be doing it deliberately it was still _very_ much reminding me what else those callused digits could do.

I gave him a wink and then jerked my head to the fire I’d banked, which seemed to be enough of a signal that he got up and strode over, but the pile of bolts just clattered down on the table where they fell as he rounded on me, both hands going straight to my hips to adjust my stance to face him.

‘Evening, Daryl,’ I said, trying and not quite succeeding at stifling a grin. ‘How’s your day been?’

‘Pain in the ass,’ he grumbled, leaning in a little so our noses almost touched. ‘Couldn’t stop thinking about you. Barely got any damned thing done.’

‘That so?’ The hell with it. I looped my arms up around his neck and laced my hands through his hair. ‘Well, I’ve just been about the usual so not like I was hard to find. Didn’t I spy you on fence duty earlier?’

‘Only thing I could put my mind to.’ A shadow of a smile crossed his face. ‘Nothing but cut and thrust, you know.’

Well there was a relief; he did know how to flirt.

‘Hmm. Well if I’ve been distracting you all day maybe I ought to be giving you an apology of some sort…’

That actually got a low growl of frustration and suddenly he had me pinned against the outside block wall.

‘Woman, I don’t get inside you soon I’m going to lose my damned mind. Been a while…long while…not been thinking on it what with the walkers and surviving and all that shit, but having it right in front of me all hot and willing-‘

That made me laugh. Not that it was the first time I’d aimed to really stoke a guy’s libido, but drawing this kind of reaction out of Daryl was _deeply_ gratifying.

‘Best you kiss me like you mean it this time then, Dixon.’

Damn if he didn’t take that like an order. It was all tongue and teeth, largely inelegant but hot as hell. Of course, much as I would’ve been game for him fucking me right there against the damned brickwork there were a lot of kids in the place, and that was before the idea of Hershel catching me with my pants down somewhere even more inappropriate than the old hayloft. I could still picture the look of utter scandalised mortification on his face at the sight of his student vet assistant getting her brains screwed out by one of the farmhands in between checking the cattle.

…probably ought to stop thinking about the old man while Daryl was all but licking my tonsils.

The moment we broke off, more for oxygen than anything else, I caught his hand in mine and turned to tow him towards the door. Once we were inside, though, he tugged me away from the block towards some stairs.

‘Better place. C’mon.’

Well, _that_ was all kinds of intriguing. I followed along and realised with a bark of laughter that we were heading for the solitary block in the basement. Extra sound proofing. Not a bad plan at all.

It didn’t take long for my eyes to adjust to the gloom but I was still glad when there turned out to be a lantern in the cell he led us into. The cot had been removed but there was a surprisingly clean mattress on the floor with some blankets and a couple of pillows. Trying not to grin like an idiot, I waited until he’d closed the door and slid the makeshift latch across, then pointedly took off my boots and socks to chuck them aside, glancing back as he did the same with rather less elegance.

He had lanky feet. Long toes. It was endearing for some reason.

I settled on the mattress, shifting up onto my knees as he did the same and pulling him to me by the front of his shirt so I could give him a deep kiss. For a long moment he seemed to just drink it in, then pulled me up by the backs of my thighs so I was knelt over his lap. I had no problem with that at all, running my fingers through his hair and kissing what of his face I could reach while his hands went roaming down my body.

Ye gods, the man was driving me mad just with those gentle exploratory squeezes and caresses. I caught his chin to tilt it up and kissed him again, busily tugging at buttons so I could get a feel of his chest. Again he lifted his arms to stop me peeling it off him altogether – I really needed to figure out what was up with that – but didn’t seem overly shy about getting _my_ shirt off. He didn’t have a problem with the hook of my bra, either, but then I already knew he had clever fingers so that wasn’t much of a surprise.

‘God damn, woman.’

Before I could conjure a response to that he ducked his head and began planting wet, open-mouthed kisses and soft bites all over my breasts, suckling deeply on each nipple as he moved back and forth. His sheer enthusiasm was positively breath taking, and in short order I was just a writhing mess unable to do much more than gasp and undulate beneath his mouth.

So, Daryl Dixon was a tits man. Good to know. I’d have to start leaving a few buttons undone on my flannels so cleavage got a daytime look-in.

Suddenly he shifted and I was on my back. One of his knees came up between my thighs and so help me I’d have humped it into tomorrow if he hadn’t also started fiddling with my jeans. I popped the button for him and then went for his belt, unconsciously licking my lips once I had his cock in my hand again, but didn’t get a chance to do much before he leaned back, hauling everything down my legs. Not that I had any problem being naked underneath him, especially when he levered his body fully up over mine and ducked his head to go for my chest again.

Much as I’d have liked to just luxuriate in that attention for a while, the heat between my legs was getting demanding so instead I tugged his pants to get them at least down and over his ass – taking a chance to cop a feel while I was at it, because _damn_ but the man had a rear built for a girl to grab onto – before slithering southwards a little so I could claim his mouth again. After a few more sloppy kisses he trailed down onto my throat, licking and sucking at the skin of my neck, his forearms planted firmly on either side of my head to hold him up.

I wriggled a bit and reached down, grinning unashamedly when a feathery brush of my fingertips provoked a muttered cuss and a grunt. Closing my hand, I started to oh-so-lightly jerk him off until, in quite short order, he was more or less rutting into my palm. Then I hooked one leg up over his waist and dug my heel into his ass to pull him closer.

That seemed to finally make him get the hint, at least, and he chewed at his lip as he adjusted the angle, groaning low when his fingers found my pussy.

‘Shit, you’re _soaked_. You like your tits sucked, huh?’

‘Amongst other things.’ I nipped at his earlobe. ‘You going to get that dick in me, or are we just killing time here?’

That got a deep little chuckle that made my insides shiver, but feeling his cock finally where I wanted it worked just fine in lieu of an actual reply. I’d got a feel of his size from sucking him off anyway, but that could never compare to the delicious stretch as he sank down until he bottomed out.

‘Fuck. _Fuck_.’ His forehead fell to my shoulder. ‘So tight. Feels – _fuck_ – feels so fucking _good_.’

‘Uh-huh,’ was all I could manage by way of a response, feeling my eyes roll back in my head as he drew slowly back out and then pushed in again, his hands clenching into fists over the blankets. Somehow he kept that unhurried pace up for several more strokes, which felt beyond incredible but was just making me want more.

I lifted my other leg up, hooking my ankles together in the small of his back, and tugged on his hair to make him look at me. He looked amazing blissed out, eyes wide and dark, and I gave him a deep kiss before withdrawing just enough to murmur against his mouth.

‘Quit your teasing and _fuck_ me, damn it.’

That got another low groan but I felt him shift and replant himself, which was the only warning I got before his hips began to snap into mine like a god damned jackhammer. I was going to have sweet bruises tomorrow and the thought made me even hotter, grabbing at him and wishing anew he’d let me take his damned shirt off so I could leave claw marks down his back. He felt divine even _just _a little off, but when I tried to stir to fix the angle he paused, blinking rapidly, and gave me a questioning look.

‘Pillow.’ I indicated. ‘Under my hips.’

That just got a confused little frown but he did as instructed, and I couldn’t help the little gasp of satisfaction that snuck out when his cock hit just the right spot as he thrust back in. _Ooh_, he was just curved enough to make it nigh on perfect, and when he stepped up the pace again it was all I could do to just hang on for the ride.

‘Oh, fuck, _yes_ – don’t stop-‘ I grabbed at his upper arms, loving the feel of the corded muscles flexing as he moved, and closed my eyes to focus on the sensations ‘-don’t you dare fucking stop, _oh god_…’

My back arched as the orgasm hit me, and through the haze of pleasure I dimly heard him cursing, the rhythm he’d set faltering as he continued to fuck me through it. I didn’t expect to come a second time but I most definitely did, actually crying out, and was still in the aftershocks of it when he plunged in deep and filled me up, his whole body shuddering as warm spurts painted my insides.

‘Fuck, fuck, _fuck_!’ He thumped one fist into the mattress and then collapsed on top of me, breathing heavily right into my left ear. ‘Fuck. Woman. _Fuck_.’

That bout of eloquence had me giggling lazily in the afterglow. I turned my head so we were face to face, brushing some rogue strands of hair out of his eyes.

‘That’s quite the vocabulary there, mister.’

‘Pft.’ He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them again and locked his gaze with mine. ‘You made it, yeah? You did?’

‘Yeah I did.’ I couldn’t help but smile; he’d evidently never had a woman come while he was inside her before, but his anxious plea for confirmation was still adorable. ‘Made it twice, in fact, and I sure as shit weren’t expecting _that_.’

‘Twice? Huh.’ He levered himself up off me a bit and glanced down. ‘The pillow thing?’

‘Mmm. Not usually a double act, though,’ I admitted, firstly because his ego needed a little stoking and secondly because hell, it was the damned truth.

Ah, there was the blush again, but it came accompanied by a tiny little smile. He shifted off me and sat up to rebutton his shirt, glancing around for where I’d thrown his belt.

‘Can I ask you something?’ I ventured once he’d found it and was re-threading it on his pants. That just got a very vaguely affirmative grunt so I sat up, still utterly nude beside him and not caring one jot. ‘How come you won’t let me take your clothes off?’

He paused, going very still for a moment, and then fixed the buckle with a shrug and a noncommittal sort of noise.

‘That so.’ Kneeling up behind him, I put both palms on his shoulders and dragged them slowly downward, loving the feel of the firm contours and angles but still wishing it was bare skin under my fingers. ‘Don’t want to push if you want to keep stuff on, just wondering why.’

‘Don’t matter.’

‘Matters to me.’ Leaning in, I slid my hands around to his chest and pressed close, kissing along the back of his neck to behind his left ear. ‘Want to _know_ you, Daryl. Not all at once, ain’t no rush like I said, but-‘

‘Just don’t want you to see,’ he said quietly, which made me frown.

‘See? You got ink?’ Something nasty, perhaps…I’d seen the markings on his bike, although Carol insisted that had belonged to his older brother and wasn’t there by his choice. ‘That don’t make anything to be bashful over. Got a bit myself, if you want to look.’

‘Not that.’ He did turn then, and seemed mildly surprised that I was still nude. Surprise turned rapidly to approval, and when he moved in I had to lean away until I ended up laid out again with him practically stalking up my body on his hands and knees.

God, the way the man _moved_ – the thought cut itself off when he dropped his head and brought one big hand up to part my legs. His breath came out in a little huff against my skin and made lightning dance up my spine.

‘You do got some,’ he murmured, running one finger gently along the little hibiscus vine tattoo that wound up the inside of my right thigh. ‘Nice spot. Many folks get to see it?’

‘Not as many as would like,’ I said dryly. ‘You’re changing the subject.’

‘No I ain’t. We’re talking about ink, right?’ Nosing up and around my waist, he found the cosmos bloom on my right hip and mouthed at it with a light nip that made me shiver. ‘That’s two. How many you got?’

‘I’ll show you mine if you show me yours…’

To my dismay he sat back up with a dismissive noise.

‘Hey!’ I followed him and put a hand on his arm. ‘C’mon, can’t be _that_ big a deal can it? I don’t care if you got some old gang thing or whatever from before-‘

‘Ink ain’t it.’ He looked away from me, but some edge in his voice made me abandon the playful angle and gentle my tone, laying my hand over his forearm to give a little squeeze.

‘Daryl.’ I waited until he grudgingly met my gaze again. ‘I meant it when I said I wanted to know you. But I also meant it when I said you’re worth any amount of waiting. So you want to make this a hard no, you just say it and I promise I’ll drop it-‘

‘I just-‘ he picked at his nails for a moment, clearly uncomfortable and more than a bit nervous ‘-just don’t want you looking at me no different. That’s all.’

I frowned, puzzled now, and more than a tad worried.

‘Why would I be looking at you different?’

For a moment he was silent, worrying his lip, then seemed to reach a decision and reached up to his collar. I waited patiently, trying to keep my expression neutral as he undid the shirt and peeled it slowly back off his arms, letting the worn fabric fall into his lap as he twisted his hands about in it. He _did_ have ink, I could see immediately, a pair of gorgeous demon-type figures with intricate wings that covered his left shoulder and part way down his back, but that was hardly-

-oh. _Oh_. I’d seen old scars like that before. On Hershel, in fact. An old man with a drinking problem, a temper and a penchant for using his belt wasn’t uncommon in a lot of counties around here. Except Daryl’s daddy had used the buckle end too. Some of those were _deep_.

I gingerly lifted one hand to trail my index finger down the middle of the tattoo, then leaned in and softly kissed the first scar that intersected it. Daryl shifted a little but didn’t pull away, so I moved across to kiss the next mark, and the next, then down to the pair of deep notches across his spine, barely moving away from him so he could feel where I was from the whisper of my breath. Once I’d kissed every blemish I could see I turned my head and leaned against him with my cheek between his shoulder blades, stroking up and down his arms.

I felt him give a long exhale and managed to conjure a smile against his skin.

‘See? I’m not looking no different.’

He turned around then, catching my chin when I made to move back, and there was a look of such utterly heart-breaking wonder on his face that I lunged out to pull him into my arms before conscious thought intervened. When he leaned in I let him lay me back down, tangling my hands up through his hair and around his shoulders. I didn’t expect him to kiss me again, let alone with such a sense of stunned adoration, but it was hard to construe anything else from the slow, deeply ardent movements of his mouth on mine. He was kissing me like I was some kind of precious lifeline. Like he couldn’t quite believe I was real, or I might melt away at any second.

‘Hey.’ I put a finger up over his lips, as much to catch my breath as anything else, but couldn’t help the giggle that snuck out when he sucked the tip into his mouth. His eyes were almost black in the dim lantern light from behind him, which made odd silhouettes dance through the shaggy mane of his hair. The man was a damned vision, and me being buck naked beneath his deliciously shirtless form wasn’t exactly calming my libido down any.

‘Hey,’ I said again, more than a little gratified when I felt his cock jutting at my hip through the tent in his pants. ‘You want to go again, I’m not going to complain. But if I could maybe file a request-‘ pausing to lick my lips when he kissed and nipped at my wrist ‘-it’d be better to feel _all_ of you…’

He groaned and kissed me again, then sat up and started to undo his pants.

‘Woman, you know I ain’t going to be able to say no to you about nothing...’

Smirking at that verdict, I propped myself up on my elbows to watch as he stripped, with just enough hesitance to betray his self-consciousness. Of course I couldn’t be having with that and pulled him down to the mattress with me before rolling us over so he was on his back, then gave him another lengthy kiss before sitting up to take a long, unashamedly admiring look down his form.

‘Don’t you be shy, now,’ I said, allowing a hint of a teasing to sneak in alongside the note of genuine chastisement in my tone. ‘May he strike me blind for saying it, but the good lord broke all the rules when he made you.’

It was hard not to laugh at the almost full-body blush that got, but I was very pleased to see that his cock didn’t flag at the compliment, standing hard and proud out from the tangle of scruff at his groin. He was well-built but not too brawny for my tastes, all lean muscle and hard sinew from the strong breadth of his shoulders down to the firm meat of his thighs and calves. Old scuffs and scars decorated a lot of him, most of them years if not decades old, but my lingering examination didn’t seem to provoke the same odd diffidence as his back so presumably they’d been acquired through other means. Several looked to have been from road rash, including a quite spectacular patch all down the outside of his right leg.

‘You’ve been through the wars, gorgeous,’ I said to him, trailing one hand down his chest onto his stomach and then very deliberately taking a feathery detour away from his cock before stroking down to his knee. He shifted a little, eyes fixed on my face, and worried a little at the side of his bottom lip.

‘Stuff happens. ‘Specially these days.’

‘Hmm.’ Now it was my turn to move over him on hands and knees, slinking back up until our faces were level. ‘I suppose it does. Not that it makes you one mite less pleasing to look at, mind.’

‘Shit.’ That came out on a little huff before I kissed him again, and I had to smile against his mouth when he rolled his hips up in an unconscious plea for more contact. ‘Woman, you always this fucking hot?’

‘Only when I got something to get warmed up for,’ I purred, nipping at his lower lip as I sat back up. ‘Although I ain’t shy of admitting you got me closer to outright boiling over, Daryl Dixon.’

That got another groan which turned into more of a whine when I took hold of his cock and gave it a couple of long, teasing strokes. His eyes all but rolled back in his head when I slid my thumb up and over the slit, then brought my entire hand down to caress the base before slipping lower to gently fondle his balls.

‘_Fuck_.’ He arched against my touch with a gasp, arms flying out to grip at the edges of the mattress as if he needed to ground himself. I found the idle thought intruding of just how much teasing it would take for him to snap altogether, just lose control and throw me down and plough me into next week, but that might be a little too many buttons to push this soon.

Without pausing the soft strokes of my hand I moved up and planted a knee on either side of his hips, levering myself up and into a better position. He was still rock hard and of course my pussy was weeping for him, so it didn’t take much effort to get seated and slide down onto his cock. Damn but he went in _deep_ at this angle, that beautiful curve hitting the perfect spot like it had been made to fit me, and I had to take a moment to catch my breath once it was bottomed out.

‘Son of a-‘ his eyes flew open again and locked with mine ‘-fuck, woman, you’re so fucking _tight. _Shit. How’re you-‘ the rest was cut off with a strangled sort of noise as I flexed my inner muscles, unable to help the little chuckle that snuck out at his reaction.

‘New to that too, huh?’

‘You better start moving, girl, or so help me…’ he trailed off with another groan when I did it again, then grabbed at my waist like he wanted to start fucking me up and down on himself by sheer force. The feel of those big hands spreading over my midriff was more than enough encouragement for me, mind, so without further comment I started rocking against him, planting my hands down on his chest for more leverage.

_Fuck_ but he felt good. All other considerations aside, it had been a good damned while since I’d had such a quality cock at my disposal and I fully intended to make the most of it. He seemed to be losing his reticence more by the minute, too, grunting and grabbing at me, planting his feet and thrusting up in time with my movements so my tits bounced. Still, I could have howled in delight when he brought one hand up with a hard slap to my ass before gripping at my thighs tight enough that there’d be bruises to show for it.

‘C’mon girl, take what you want. Ride it – _fuck_-‘ as I rolled my hips in a full circle one way and then the other ‘-yeah, use it – use that cock-‘

If that wasn’t the hottest damned suggestion I’d ever heard while on top of a guy…I went back at it, leaning forward so I could run my palms up and down his torso. When he slapped my ass again I rewarded him with a tight clench that elicited another half-growled curse.

‘_Shit_, girl, you better take what you need fast ‘cause I’m gonna pop any fucking second-‘

Having always been a sucker for dirty talk that did it for me. I positively _erupted_ on him, barely able to brace myself upright as he seized my hips to keep rutting up into me until I felt him explode, his entire body going rigid as he filled me up.

I’ll admit once the echoes subsided I half collapsed onto him, letting my forehead fall onto his shoulder. We were both slick with sweat now and the room was positively steaming.

After a few moments of mutual heavy breathing Daryl held me up off him and brushed some hair out of my eyes, staring at me anew with that odd combination of adoration and wonder.

‘You all right?’ he asked, a little gruffly, but his touch on my face remained gentle. ‘Didn’t – didn’t hurt you, did I?’

‘Not a bit,’ I assured him firmly, a tad dismayed but not really surprised that the grappling had prompted a spike of anxiety from him. ‘Never been adverse to a little rougher handling. Not made of glass, anyways.’

‘But you’d say?’ he pressed, brows furrowing in concern. ‘If I did, I mean. You’d say something?’

I gave him a lingering kiss which hopefully conveyed reassurance as well as enthusiasm.

‘I seem like the wilting violet type? Course I’d say. Besides-‘ with a wink ‘-you ever lay a hand on me and mean it in anger I’d break your damned face, however pretty it is.’

‘Good.’ That seemed to mollify him somewhat. I sat up again and stretched, throwing my arms up until the joints cracked and unable to help the lazy smile that crept out at the way he scanned over my body. Something hesitantly covetous in his gaze confirmed my thought that he was definitely unused to being at leisure to admire a female form.

‘So, we bunking in here, or what?’

His jaw worked soundlessly for a moment, uncertain.

‘If you want.’

That noncommittal verdict made me snort.

‘Lord, man, you think my legs’ll work fit to get me back upstairs after that and you got another thing coming…’

‘_Another_ thing, huh?’ he quipped, rolling his eyes when that set me chuckling, and sat up to drag the blankets over us both before laying down again, on his side and facing me. One big hand draped over my waist to settle on the small of my back, then he propped his head up on his other elbow and looked down at me with an unreadable expression. I gave a happy little sigh and reached to tuck a few rogue strands of dark hair behind his ear, smiling when he turned to kiss the palm of my hand before fixing his attention back on my face.

‘You know some folks would say staring’s a mite rude,’ I teased.

‘You one of them?’

‘Nah. Just not used to being stared at that way is all.’

He snorted and then lay down properly, folding his arm under his head but still not looking away from me. I gave him another kiss and then shuffled up to burrow against his torso, tucking my head under his chin. For an instant he froze in what was hopefully just surprise, then gradually seemed to force himself to relax.

‘Ain’t done much cuddling before,’ he admitted after a moment.

‘Don’t like it?’

‘Didn’t say that.’ His hand slide around to my hip and began to stroke softly back and forth. I grinned into his chest and mirrored the action before travelling elsewhere, letting my palm drag slowly down that gorgeous expanse of muscled back before giving his right buttock a light slap, which made him start.

When he drew back to peer down at me I dissolved into giggles, getting another eye roll before he settled again.

‘Fucking handsy, girl.’

‘Can’t blame me when you’re so damned tasty to hang onto,’ I said, but it didn’t come out quite as cheeky as planned thanks to trailing off into a yawn. My eyes were getting heavy lidded, too. He was warm and he smelt_ good_, a pleasantly masculine combination of fresh sweat and woodsy outdoors, and frankly after three orgasms inside an hour it was hardly shocking that I was getting drowsy.

‘Get some sleep,’ he said, surprisingly softly, and I felt him reach over to flick the lamp off, enveloping the room instantly in blackness. ‘Nobody’ll disturb us down here.’

‘Hmm.’ That was all the encouragement I needed, closing my eyes and very happily losing myself in the cosy cocoon of his arms. Definitely the best night’s sleep I’d had since the world went to shit, and frankly possibly even before that, but then it’s amazing what a good screw will do for a girl.

It was of course still pitch dark when I drifted back into consciousness, so god only knew what time it was, and I found myself mildly puzzled at what had woken me. Then I felt the soft bite planted behind my ear, along with a teasing squeeze of a nipple, and bit back a laugh. I’d rolled over at some point and Daryl was spooned against my back, arm hooked around my chest to grab a handful and one leg thrown up over my waist. He was rock hard against the cleft of my ass, clearly trying – and rather failing – not to rub up and down for some friction.

‘Morning there handsome,’ I said, deliberately pushing back against him and cracking a grin when that got a low, pleasured little grunt. ‘Assuming it is morning and you ain’t just ready for a midnight round, can’t tell in here-‘

‘Yeah, s’morning,’ he muttered, nosing at the side of my throat. ‘Woke up a bit ago. Best damn night’s sleep I ever had. Thought I fucking wet-dreamed the whole thing but here you are.’

Well, _that_ was a compliment and a half, I couldn’t help thinking wryly. Then his hand let go of my breast and slid down to part my thighs, making me gasp in surprise when he immediately pushed the tip of his finger into my pussy.

‘Want you.’ That came out all but a growl in my ear. ‘Shit, how’re you wet already? So fucking hot. You still want me?’

I groaned an affirmative, loving the way he had me pinned with my back to his chest and was just probing unashamedly, already two knuckles deep and easing in a second finger. Crooking them deftly and hitting the right spot first time – _god damn_ but the man was a fast learner – he started fucking me with both while bringing his thumb up to circle my clit and leaving loose, messy kisses around my neck and shoulders.

The unexpected confidence, not to mention the downright dominance in his handling, had me coming in record time with a strangled sort of noise. He slowed pace for a moment but kept at it, rutting his hips against my ass in time with his fingers until I flung my arm back over my shoulder to grab at him frantically as a second wave crashed over me, totally soaking his hand.

‘Damn, girl.’ He caught my earlobe between his teeth and tugged at it. ‘You’re amazing.’

‘Son of a-‘ that was as far as I got before he pushed me over onto my stomach, taking hold of my hips and pulling them up so I was on my knees, driving his cock straight home ‘-oh _god_!’ The sudden intrusion was the most deliciously harsh stretch, even though I was sopping from his fingers, and he took several long, slow strokes in and out before speeding up until all I could do was arch my back and take it. Which I did like a champ, of course, because that perfect curve worked at this angle too and orgasm number three was definitely approaching.

‘_Fuck_…you feel good…so fucking good…’ he was hammering into me again now, hard enough that I had to brace myself on my forearms or risk being ploughed straight off the end of the mattress. Dropping my head, I did what I could to push back against him, clenching around the steel rod of his cock in time with each thrust and unable to help the rather wicked chuckle that escaped when that set him cussing again.

I definitely didn’t expect for him to suddenly reach round my waist and give my clit a delectably vicious flick with this thumb, making my entire body jerk at the unexpected spike of sensation. When he did it again I heard myself positively _sob_, and on the third stroke I came apart around him with a small scream. In fact I was still reeling from the echoes of it when he buried himself balls deep and flooded my pussy with a deep groan of satisfaction. Finally, with obvious reluctance, he pulled out and sort of collapsed onto his back beside me, but not before pulling me down fully onto my stomach and over so I was sort of sprawled across his chest.

Once our mutually laboured breathing had slowed a bit I glanced up at him.

‘Well if that’s your idea of a wake-up call I’m throwing out every god damned clock in this place.’

That got a snort of amusement and then he tugged me up his body so we were eye to eye.

‘Thought maybe you’d change your mind, you know, morning after and all, but then fucking feeling you again and-‘

I cut him off with a kiss and a smile.

‘I ain’t changing my mind on nothing to do with you, Daryl. Although we really ought to get up. Someone’s bound to come hollering sooner or later.’

‘Yeah.’ He smirked slightly. ‘Just wanted you first. Maybe stand a chance of getting some shit done without my dick popping my fucking pants all day.’

That notion made me laugh, but I forced away the urge to kiss him again in favour of getting moving because laying about when work needed to be done wasn’t going to make either of us too popular. I did take a shower before seeing to the bedding from the downstairs cell though, and just flashed Carol a little wink and a grin when she caught my eye.

I didn’t actually see Daryl for the rest of the day, assumed he’d found something needful to occupy himself with and so focused on handling the laundry. It had been a while since I’d had such a pleasant all-over ache from the kind of exertion more fun than fleeing for your life from corpses, but damned if it hadn’t lifted my mood no end. Beth innocently commented that I seemed happy today, then rolled her eyes when I just waggled my eyebrows at her, which got me a scolding from Maggie but I didn’t even remotely care. I cared even less than that when I spotted a couple of people hauling ass to the gate, which admitted a familiar dark-clad figure with a brace of game thrown over one shoulder. So I planted myself in the courtyard next to the cooking pot and waited for him to arrive.

‘Good haul,’ I said to him when he deposited half a dozen rabbits on the table. ‘Didn’t see you go out.’

‘Weren’t gone too long.’ He glanced over at me. ‘Need more bolts.’

‘Well the stack you started yesterday’s over where you left it,’ I shot back with a grin. ‘Let me stoke one of the fires up and then I’ll skin those down.’

‘Thanks.’

We ended up working in comfortable silence for a bit, unusual enough for me at the best of times, and I’d just got the last of the meat into the pot when I felt an arm snake around my waist. A kiss was pressed into my hair too, which made me start in surprise and look at him.

‘All right?’ he asked, the old nervousness re-surfacing for a beat until I smiled reassurance and leaned back into him.

‘Course. Didn’t mark you for the PDA type is all.’

‘Ain’t used to it.’ A half shrug. ‘Just…seeing you. Makes me want to touch you.’

‘Won’t hear me complaining.’ I turned to capture his lips at that, rather than delighted with the verdict.

‘Oh good lord, you _didn’t_!’ That was from the doorway, and I broke off to flash a grin at an open-mouthed Maggie.

‘Didn’t what?’

‘You’re unbelievable!’

‘Don’t make a scene,’ Hershel said to her with mild rebuke as he ambled out with his bible under one arm, and god bless the old man he actually shot me a wink. ‘Just you mind yourself there, Daryl. She’s always been a wild one.’

‘Figured that.’ Daryl kissed me again as a squeak of _yuck_ came from somewhere in Beth’s direction, but I ignored it to twine my arms around his neck as more laughter, heckling and even a couple of small cheers heralded the arrival of Karen, Glenn and the others in the courtyard.

Typical it would have taken the apocalypse for me to find a worthwhile keeper. But at least it made the end of the world a little bit worth it.


End file.
